Esther Ha
Momofuku Ko | New York
february 2023
Inspired by her family’s small library of cookbooks, Esther Ha embarked on her culinary career in 2014. With a degree in psychology and Asian American studies from Pitzer College, Ha wanted to pursue food journalism. She enrolled at the International Culinary Center hoping to gain more insight into the foods she would one day be writing about. She soon fell in love with the buzz of the kitchen and, in 2015, joined the team at Café Boulud as a line cook. The experience was a culinary crash course for Ha—she worked through every station and learned the importance of being able to hold her own while supporting a team. While at Café Boulud, Ha also participated in programs with The Ment’or BKB Foundation, which opened her eyes to the necessity of mentorship in the industry.
In 2017, Ha accepted a line cook position at Momofuku Ko. Six years later, she now serves as the restaurant’s executive chef. At Ko, Ha serves thoughtful dishes inspired by her professional and personal experiences, like her raw scallops with confit shiitake mushrooms and white kimchi—a riff on her dad’s beloved kimchi recipe. Ha has also reconfigured the team’s structure, pairing senior line cooks with more junior team members to encourage mentorship and help them grow. She strives to make the two Michelin-starred restaurant a training ground for young chefs and a space where her team can feel supported as they grow in their careers.
